Retainer bearing drawer



Sept. 22, 1953 l.. PRESS 2,653,072

` RETAINER BEARING DRAWER Filed June 1. 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 VENTOR a, Z e072 Pres.; 3.9 e' www.

ATTDRN EYS Sept. 22, 1953 l.. PRESS 2,653,072

RETAINER BEARING DRAWER Filed June 1. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W 3.6 sa' l?? P0 22 9 .56' y 3? a9 34 d d E) U U Q 37 I. 38. /////Z///L;/////////////M 1NVENT0R. gaap/46.9.5; A 39 @G55 f-M/ms ATTD RN EYE Patented Sept. 22, `1953 rEARINc Drawn Leon Press, Baltimore, Md.

aggirare im 1,1951 serial 165,403

1 Claim. l

invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to a` sliding drawer cabinet assembly; The object of the invention isI to provide a sliding drawer cabinet construction, whereby the drawers can be opened and closed with'ease,y the construction of the ,presentv including a plurality of ball bearingsi which" are arranged so that the drawer will not sag, bind or jam in the cabinet or housing.

Another object of the invention to provide a ball bearing assembly` which is adapted to be positioned between sliding drawers and the corresponding parts of a cabinet, whereby the drawers lwill be supported and prevented from moving out of place, 'the ball I oearing assembly being easily installed in the cabinefwhich may be a filing' cabinet,4 desir, linen closetY or any other article of furniture which utilizes sliding drawers.

4 A further object of the invention is to provide a drawerassembly which is extremely `simple and inexpensive to manufacture. l

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course ofthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming 'a part of` this applicationand inI which litige numerals are used to designate) like parts throughout the same.:

Figure 1 is a sectional view takenA en the line IY-l of Figure 2;-

Figure 2 is al sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of-'Figure 1 Figure 3v` is a sectional Viewr taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2:;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Fig-ure 3v, but with the drawers shown open posi-tion;-

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional* viewy taken through the` drawer` and: housing and illustrating the method of placing the ball bearing carriage*l inposition between the draw-er and housing;n

AEigure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line &-.-.6A of Figure 8 ;v

Figure '7r is a, sectional ViewftakenA on the line 'It- 1 of Figure` 8i;

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken. on the line 8,18 of- Figure` 6;

Figure. 9 is a fragmentary sidev elevational; View of the drawer;

Figure 10V. is a fragmentaryside elevationalV Figure 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View Vshowing a stop member Vfor preventing the drawer from being 'pulled all the way out ofthe housing;

Figure I4 is a sectional view taken on the line |4-l4 of Figure 2.

Referring yin detail to the drawings, the numeral 20 designates a portion ofa housing oi`- a cabinet, the housing 20v including a horizontally disposed bottom wall 2|-, spaced, parallel', vertically disposed side walls; 22, and a rear wall 23; rThis housing 20 may be part of any article of furniture, suchA as a i'lling cabinet, linen closet, desk, or workv bench, and` a drawer 24 isslidably arranged` in the housing 20-. The drawer 24 is` adapted. to contain desired articles, and it is to be understood that any number of the drawers 2i can be provided according to the shape and use of the article ofj furniture.

The present invention is; directed' to a mounting for the sliding drawer` 24, whereby sag-ging, jamming and the like between the drawer 24 and the housing 20L will be preventedi The mounting of the present invention will enablethe drawer- 24 to be easily-opened and closed,'so that there will be no stick-ing between thev drawer and thecorresponding parts ofA the housing.

rElie drawer-- Zfllf has its top open, whereby ar ticles can be placed in the drawer or removed therefrom, and the drawer 24 includes a neri--v Zontally disposed` base ori-bottom member 25, and projecting upwardly: from the base 25 and secured thereto is a. pair ot spaced, parallel, vertically disposed side members1 26; A verticallydisposed front member` 2ll extends between the. forward ends of the` side member-S126 and is secured thereto, while. arranged in spacedparallel relation with respect tothe front member 2 is a back member 28.

Each of the. drawers 242 is-provided with a pai-rofr ball bearing assemblies 29, Figure. l, there being one of the ball bearingI assemblies 29 arranged between. each` or the. sideV membersl 26. of the. drawer and the* corresponding. side wall 22 ofy the housing. Since each of thei ball bearing assemblies 29: has the. samek construction, onlyY one will be described in.4 detail.

Each ,ball bearing: assembly. 29 includes a pair ci rectangularplates; 30?'. @ne oftheguide plates 3i) is` positioned: in arecess 3i that ex tends longitudinally in the sidemember-- 26, and; the. guide plateV 301 is secured to the side member 2E by suitablev securing elements, such as screws 32. A longer guide plate( 30" is arranged in a longitudinally extending recess 33, the recess beingrformed' inA the side wall 2-2l ofJ thev housingl '2b. Su'itab'le screws '32 are used for securing the guide plate 30 `to the side wall 22. It will be noted that the pairof guide plates yare arranged in spaced, .parallel opposed relation with respect to each other. Also, each of the guide plates 30 and 30 is provided with a longitudinally extending, arcuate groove 34 for a, purpose to be later described.

interposed between the .pair of guide plates 30, 30 is a ball bearing retaining member or carriage 35. The carriage 35 is rectangular in shape. The carriage 35 is provided with a rst set or plurality of spaced holes or sockets 35 and the carriage 35' is also provided with la, second set of spaced holes or sockets 31. A ball bearing 38 is positioned in each of the sockets 36 and 31. The sockets 36 are'so constructed that the ball bearings 38 are all adapted to be inserted from the side of the carriage facing the drawer, while the other set of sockets 31 are so tapered or constructed that the ball bearings 38 for the sockets 31 must be inserted from the side of the caririage racing the housing side wall.

All of the .ball bearings 38 are centered along the same faxis in the carriage 35, and the ball bearings 33 each rotatably engage the complemental, arcuate grooves 34 in the pair of guide plates 33, 33. Thus, it will be seen that the drawer 24 can be readily opened and closed or slid in the housing 25 without any attendant jamming or sticking of the drawer. When the drawer 24 is in its closed position, it is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, and when the drawer 24 is pulled open, as when the user is to remove or replace articles, the drawer is in the position shown in Figure 4. It will be noted that as the drawer 24 is pulled to its open position, as shown in Figure 4, the carriage 35 containing the ball bearings 38 therein will be partially withdrawn, but due to the fact that the set of sockets 35 taper, as previously described, the ball bearings 38 positioned in the socket 36 will be prevented from falling out of the carriage 35, even though the carriage 35 moves part of the way out of the housing when the drawer is opened.

Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, there is shown the method for positioning the carriage 35 between the drawer 24 and the side wall 22 of the housing 20. A pin 39 is secured to the front end of the guide plate 30 which is secured to the side member 23 of the drawer 24. The pin 39 is secured to this guide plate 30 by a suitable securing element, such as a screw 45, Figure ll. Thus, to assemble the ball bearing mechanism 29, the drawer 24 is pulled out suiciently, as shown in Figure 5. Then, the carriage 35 is seated or positioned adjacent to the guide plate 55 which is attached to the side member 26. Then, when the drawer 24 is pushed inwardly into the housing 20, the pin 39 will contact or Aengage the outer end of the carriage 35 to thereby force or push the carriage 35 inwardly and into the housing 2U, as the drawer 24 is pushed inwardly. Finally, when the drawer 24 is pushed or moved all the way into its closed position in the housing 2i), the carriage 35 will be in the position shown in Figures 2 Iand 3, so that subsequent sliding movement of the drawer 24 can be accomplished with ease and with-out any jamming. Each time the drawer 24 is pulled open, the carriage 35 will move outwardly a short distance to the position shown in Figure 4, due to the rotation of the ball bearing members 38.

However, since the only ball bearings 38 which' will be exposed are those that are seated in the `tom of a horizontally disposed strip 44.

sockets 36, none of the ball bearings 33 will accidentally drop out of the carriage 35, since the ball bearings 38 in the sockets 36 can only be removed from the carriage 35 from the opposite side thereof.

A handle 4l, Figure 2, is secured to the outer surface of the front member 21 of the drawer 24 by suitable securing elements, such as screws 42. Thus, the user merely grips the handle 4l to open and close the drawer as desired.

A means is provided for limiting the outward movement of the drawer 24. In other words, this means prevents the drawer 24 from being accidentally pulled entirely out of the housing 20. This means comprises a stop member 43, Figures 2, 13 and 14, and the stop member 43 is formed integrally with or secured to the bot- The strip 44 is secured to the housing 20. Thus, when the drawer 24 is pulled too far out, the stop member 43 will abut or engage the back member 28 of the drawer 24 so as to prevent the drawer 24 from being pulled entirely out of the housing.

A means is provided for preventing the drawer 24 from being accidentally opened, and this means is designated generally by the numeral 45, Figures 2 and 12. This means is conventional and includes a casing 45 which is seated in a suitable recess in the housing 20, and a ball 41 is normally urged out of the casing 45 by a spring 48. The ball 41 is urged into the arcuate intermediate portion of a plate 43, the plate 49 being secured to the front end of the drawer 24. Thus, the normal seating of the 1call 51 in the arcuate portion of the plate 45 will be suficient to insure that the drawer 24 will not accidentally open,Y but when the user pulls the handle 4l, the plate 43 can be reasily separated or moved out of engagement with the ball 41 so as to permit the drawer to be pulled to its open position.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that an assembly has been provided for insuring that a drawer, such as the drawer 24, can be opened and closed without any jamming or sticking of the drawer. To insert the carriage 35 in its proper place, the drawer 24 is pulled open to the position shown in Figure 5, and the carriage 35 is placed against the plate 30. Then, when the drawer 24 is moved inwardly, the pin 35 will move the carriage 35 inwardly, so that the carriage 35 Which carries the ball bearings 38 will be in its proper position. The keeper assembly 45 maintains the drawer 24 in its proper closed position until the user desires to remove or replace articles from or in the drawer 24. To open the drawer 24, the user lmerely grips the handle 4| and as the drawer 24 is pulled open, the ball bearings 38 engage the arcuate grooves 34 in the guide plates so as to insure a smooth sliding movement of the drawer.Y The carriage 35 moves a short distance due to this ball bearing arrangement, but the carriage 35 only moves the distance indcated in Figure 4., and since the set of sockets 3S are tapered toward the side member 26, the ball bearings 38 in the sockets 35 will not accidentally fall from the carriage 35.

The pin 39 only engages the carriage 35 when the carriage is being initially positioned in the drawer, or after the carriage is being replaced. Thus, each time the drawer is closed, the bearings will roll to the same position, yso that the only purpose of Vthe pin 35 ,is to put the bearings in position at assembly or repair, as when the carriage and bearings have been removed. When 5 the drawer is closed, pin 39 automatically comes to rest at the end of the carriage, but does not move or force the carriage into position.

It will be noted that one of the assemblies 29 is arranged on each side of the drawer 24, and the assembly of the present invention can be used to prevent drawers from binding, sagging or sticking, such drawers forming part of any furniture, such as desks, tool benches, linen drawers,V

or any other drawer used in Wood furniture, and the like.

I claim:

In combination, a housing, a drawer slidably mounted in said housing, a iirst pair of guides secured to opposite sides of the drawer and a second pair of guides secured to opposite sides of the housing, each of said guides being provided with a longitudinally extending groove, bearing assemblies positioned on opposite sides of said drawer in said grooves, each of said assemblies comprising a flat bar like carriage provided with front and rear sets of sockets, and a ball bearing positioned in each of said sockets, said front set of sockets tapering from the side of the carriage nearest the adjacent side Wall of the drawer to the side of the carriage adjacent the housing side wall so that the ball bearings may be inserted in the front set of sockets in the side of the carriage adjacent the side Wall of the drawer, said rear set of sockets tapering from the side of the carriage nearest the adjacent housing side wall to the side of the carriage adjacent the side wall of the drawer so that the ball bearings may be inserted in the rear set of sockets in the side of the carriage adjacent the housing side wall, the rearmost ball bearings in the rear set of sockets being positioned rearwardly of the rear edge of the drawer and the foremost ball bearings in the front set of sockets being positioned forwardly of the front edge of the housing when the drawer is fully open.

i LEON PRESS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,002,902 Cossey Sept. 12, 1911 1,005,055 Miller Oct. 3, 1911 1,037,542 Rooney Sept. 3, 1912 1,106,992 Thomas Aug. 11, 1914 2,320,276 Gussock May 25, 1943 

